Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/07/12

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Subject: [Leica] Mark, Re: stinkin MF long
From: Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 14:20:41 -0700

Did you mean to say "Jim!" or "TSL!"  ?? I haven't said anything since the
barbed wire... a day or two ago. I wasn't even thinking about it.

Jim


At 01:22 PM 7/12/99 -0700, you wrote:
>TSL wrote:
>> 
>> From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
>> Subject: [Leica] Re: stinkin MF
>> 
>> At 10:45 AM 7/11/99 -0700, you wrote:
>> >
>> >If the viewing distance is on the close side maybe your should lean
>> >toward your "stinkin" 40 when shooting the originals!
>> >Mark Rabiner
>> >Isn't the viewing distance the length of the lens times the magnifaction
>> >of the print?
>> >
>> 
>> <I guess I could use barbed wire around each print to "force" the proper
>> viewing distance... :-) The "viewing" public is not educated in such
>> intellectual things. No 40 yet. Couple of weeks to go. I don't want to
>> "lean" too far. Might fall off the edge.>
>> 
>> So if they are not educated, why not just use Photoshop - they'll never
>> know.  Because if you have to explain why they look so good you'll get 'ohh
>> that's why' response.  Well the general public - are they so much more
>> educated on film size?  In any case, they will still be settled when you
>> tell them it's a larger neg, chrome, but if you tell them it's a 35mm like
>> the one's they use, they will truly be impressed especially when you tell
>> them ohh..it was just a snapshot.  Yes, I refer to my M pics as a snapshot -
>> no tripods, no long ordeal just a snap and then you get it back and it's
>> more than a snap.
>
>I'm not talking about getting the public involved with the nuts and
>bolts of the making of the picture Jim!
>I'm just saying if they were in a situation where they were cramped into
>standing just a couple of feet from your murals because of the size of
>the room then the murals would look better to the viewer if shot with a
>wider angle lens.
>On size
>Airports are filled with huge murals from 35mm Negs and they could be
>from handheld low light highspeed whatever as long as it works with the
>space. I do relate with your wanting to use a Medium format for a mural
>job I think I would lean in that direction myself. As for the Public,
>let them eat cake!
>Photography is frustrating because effective results on a large scale
>can sometimes be done by idiots with luck.
>Decor stuff is a whole ball of wax which sometimes relies on the
>teamwork of  interior design specialists acting  like art directors with
>the photographer. Details like the actual finish of the print can make
>or break the final effect. Lots of ink jet stuff going on and all kinds
>of evolving technologies which I am only vaguely aware of. Fujix?
>Regular photographic processes like Ciba, Fuji and Kodak C prints are
>dwindling in that context. I'm still very fond of a C print done on a
>large scale. I still have 3 leftover wasted sheets of 30 by 40 in a
>yellow Kodak box. Would love to do Ciba's like you are doing some day
>with those great reds and awesome gloss though but our rental lab here
>has switched to Fuji for thier type R and I would have to say I'm verk
>OK with it.
>All photographers get to work big sometimes I think it is important.
>I remember a well known ceramics teacher David Hershey I had at Wash U
>said 
>"OK that's great now make something 5 times bigger!"
>Mark Rabiner